Short answer: Vietjet meets the main current audit and oversight checks used for international carriers. It is an IATA member with IOSA registration, its home regulator holds an FAA Category 1 rating, and it is not named on the EU Air Safety List.
Vietjet has never had a fatal accident or lost an aircraft. It has, however, had two serious incidents investigated by Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAV) within a month of each other in late 2018, and a runway excursion in 2025.
IOSA
Vietjet has held IOSA registration since 2015 and received its IATA membership certificate on 18 February 2017. It remains a current IATA member.
EU standing
No Vietnamese airline is named on the EU Air Safety List updated on 9 June 2026.
Most serious incident
Flight VJ356, 29 November 2018; nose gear collapsed on landing, six passengers hurt during the evacuation, no fatalities.
What the current checks show
| Check | Current position | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| IATA / IOSA | Current IATA member | Must hold IOSA registration while eligible for the audit. |
| FAA IASA category | Vietnam rated Category 1 since February 2019 | Vietnam’s regulator meets ICAO licensing, operations and airworthiness standards. |
| EU Air Safety List | Not listed | No EU operating ban or restriction. |
| Home oversight | Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam | The CAAV certifies the airline and publishes final incident reports. |
| Fatal accidents | None on record | Meaningful history, not a forecast. |
These checks screen present-day systems and oversight. They do not erase past incidents or guarantee any single flight.
What the CAAV found after Vietjet’s incidents
On 29 November 2018, Vietjet flight VJ356, an Airbus A321neo registered VN-A653, landed on runway 09 at Buon Ma Thuot after a flight from Ho Chi Minh City. Both nose wheels fractured and separated during touchdown and deceleration, and the aircraft could not move under its own power once it stopped.
All 207 passengers were evacuated using emergency procedures. Six were injured during the evacuation and taken to hospital, four discharged the same day and two the following day.
The CAAV’s final report found that the captain, who was flying, pushed the sidestick fully forward at 9 feet above the runway, putting the nose gear on the ground first and loading it beyond the point its shock absorber could take. The flight crew training manual says the sidestick should not be pushed forward once the flare has begun.
What followed
The CAAV suspended both pilots’ licences, and Vietnamese state media reported the two foreign crew had them withdrawn indefinitely. The regulator ordered retraining on standard operating procedures and on landing and flare technique, which the report records Vietjet completed.
On 25 December 2018, flight VJ689 turned back to Cam Ranh after a technical warning and landed on a completed runway that had not yet opened. None of the 163 passengers was hurt, but the CAAV classified it a serious incident, suspended the crew, barred Vietjet from expanding flights and routes, and placed it under special supervision at Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Cam Ranh.
Those measures ran for about three weeks, into mid-January 2019, and Vietjet kept flying its existing schedule throughout.
On 7 May 2025, flight VJ1149 from Hanoi hydroplaned after touchdown at Tan Son Nhat in a sudden downpour, tearing two tyres and breaking a runway edge light. Nobody was hurt, and no CAAV findings have been made public.
Fleet age
AirlineRatings.com reported in January 2026 that Vietjet’s fleet averaged about 7.5 years, with A320s near 12.6 years and A321neos near 3.6 years. That is younger than several Gulf full-service carriers and older than IndiGo.
Fleet age is context, not a safety score. AirlineRatings.com is a private commercial ranking site, not a regulator.
What travellers should check
- Confirm the operating carrier, as some routes are flown by Thai Vietjet.
- Allow generous connecting time, because separate tickets put the delay risk on you.
- Read the baggage and change rules before paying; the low fare excludes most extras.
- Check flight status in the May-to-October rainy season, when storms drive most delays.
Compare current Vietjet itineraries, flights to Vietnam and hotels in Ho Chi Minh City on Wego.
FAQ
Is Vietjet safe to fly in 2026?
It meets the main current audit and oversight checks used for international airlines and has no fatal accident on record. No airline can be called risk-free.
Did regulators ever restrict Vietjet?
Yes, briefly. At the end of December 2018 the CAAV blocked network expansion and put the airline under special supervision at four airports for about three weeks while it reviewed operational processes.
Sources
- CAAV: final report, serious incident VJ356, 29 November 2018
- FAA: Vietnam Category 1 safety rating
- IATA: Vietjet member record
- IATA: IOSA programme
- CAAV: Vietjet receives IATA membership certificate, 18 February 2017
- European Commission: EU Air Safety List
- VnExpress: Vietjet lands on wrong runway at Cam Ranh
- Nikkei Asia: Hanoi freezes Vietjet expansion
- Vietnamnet: VJ1149 skids off runway at Tan Son Nhat
- AirlineRatings.com: Vietjet fleet age, January 2026
Disclaimer: Wego strives to ensure all information presented in this article is accurate and up to date at the time of publication. Travel policies, prices, visa requirements, and conditions can change rapidly. We strongly recommend verifying critical details with official sources before making travel decisions. Wego does not accept liability for any inaccuracies, oversights, or changes that may occur after publication.
